Sunday, April 11, 1999

Orphaned dog has broken pelvis, heart

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Neighbor took him to veterinarian

BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Linda Lacinak visits with Blarney at the Madeira Veterinary Hospital. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

        MONTGOMERY — She saw the picture in Saturday's Enquirer and immediately recognized the Old English Sheepdog tied to the bumper of an overturned Chevy Blazer. It was Blarney.

        The dog was orphaned by Friday's storm. The winds shot him and his owners, Lee and Jacqueline Cook, out of their house. The Cooks were killed, leaving Blarney's veterinarian worried about his whereabouts.

        “He's real sweet, real friendly and nice,” said Carla Campbell, a worker at the Evendale-Blue Ash Pet Hospital where the gray and white dog is known as Blarney Cook. “I just knew it was him when I saw the picture. We just want him to be all right.”

        He is. Suffering from a broken pelvis and some other injuries, Blarney is recovering at the Madeira Veterinary Hospital. A neighborhood woman took him there after watching him sit tied up for several hours outside his destroyed home.

        “He was tied to a mailbox down the street then, a girl had put a blanket over him,” said Linda Lacinak. “He was really traumatized. He was shivering and crying, just sitting there.”

        By Saturday, after doses of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, Blarney was feeling a little better. Veterinarian Lisa Beck expected to keep him five days or so. She treated him for free.

        Ms. Lacinak is ready to take Blarney if the Cooks' two surviving children cannot.

        “If the children want the dog, I would love for them to have him. If they don't want him right away, I'll keep him until they do. Or I'll keep him forever, if that's best. I just want him to have a loving home. He's been through too much.

        “We love him so much,” she said. “We already do. He's just very friendly. You can tell he was very loved.”

       

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PICKING UP THE PIECES
Pinpointing the damage in the Tristate
Homeowners sort out emotions, scattered memories
Where to donate, where to get help
Orphaned dog has broken pelvis, heart
Devoted pair died together
'When God calls, we must go'
Sirens not designed to penetrate buildings
Did you hear the sirens?
New home, owners spared
Utility crews, municipal workers out in force
Volunteers offer goods, hands, time
Mother Nature's worst brings out the best in human nature
Church members shed tears, give thanks
Hoosiers pitch in to help neighbors
Insurance adjusters bring checks, reassuring words
Warren County took blow, too
One year later, Alabama tornado victims still rebuilding
Coping with the storm
Coping with the storm: Returning to your home